Scuba Suits Have Come a Long Way Since Leonardo Da Vinci Invented One

The apparel, which looks more appropriate for a horror movie than a diving trip, has two tubes projecting from a breathing nozzle giving it a sort of octupus look.

According to Atlas Obscura, there's no hard evidence that da Vinci actually created one for himself, but he is the man behind the plans. However, he took pains to keep the entirety of his plans for man to survive underwater—he was afraid nefarious individuals “would practice assassinations at the bottom of the seas, by breaking the ships in their lowest parts and sinking them together with the crews who are in them.”

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Da Vinci is more known for his aviation designs—like the “aerial screw,” a variation of what we now know as the helicopter—than his underwater fashion design.

It may not be something we'd wear, but it certainly is fascinating.

​Erika Owen is the Senior Audience Engagement Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @erikaraeowen.